Mole-trap



' (No Model.)

G. RICARDO; MOLE TRAP.

No. 458,493. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE RICARDO, OF HACKENSACK, NElV JERSEY.

MOLE-TRAP.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,493, dated August25, 1891.

Application filed February 12, 1891. Serial No. 381,178. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE RICARDO, of Hackensack, in the county ofBergen and State ot' New Jersey, have invented anew and ImprovedMole-Trap, of which the following is a full, clear and exactdescription.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mele-trapwhich is simple and durable in Construction and Very effective andcertain in operation.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinationscfthe same, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specificat-ion, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a front Viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same, and Fig. 4 is asectional plan View of the same on the line cc x of Fig. 1.

The improved mole-trap is provided with a frame A, havingdow'wardly-extending parallel posts or prongs B and B', adapted to passinto the ground and connected at their upper ends with each other byabar 13 On top of the latter is erected a standard or post 13 carryingon its upper enda plate 13 in which are mounted to slide the handledarms C, rigidly connected at their lower ends on a plate D, on which areriveted or secured the downwardly-extending sets of pointed arms F andF', adapted to spear the animal. The upper ends of the handled arm C areconnected with each other by a cross-bar C', on which is formed afinger-piece 0 for conveniently setting the trap. On this cross-bar C'is Secured one end of a spring E, extending downward and forward toconnect atits lower end to the plate 13 of the main frane A. Each of thetwo sets of arms F and F' con tain s about three arms, arrangedtransversely, as is plainly illustrated in Figs. 3 and at, the said setsextending to the sides of the frame A. On the plate D are also securedtwo additional arms F extending parallel with the sets of arms F and F',but passing through apertures formedin the plate B so as to firmly guidethe plate D in connection with the handled arm C. On the top of theplate D 's Secured or for-med a hook or catch G,adapted to be engaged bythe V-shapcd end H' of a lever H, pivoted at H to one side of the standard B The lower end H of the lever H is adapted to abut against aprojection I', formed on the trigger I, pivoted on the post B', and carryinga trigger-plate 1 extending between the two posts B and B' and betweenthe two sets of arms F and F'. l/Vhen the trap is not used, the leverHis disconnected from the hook or catch G, the plate D resting on top ofthe plate 13 and the springiE being 'in a normal condition. The pointedends of the arms F, F', and F reach to about the lower ends of the postsB and B'. Now when it is desired to set the trap the operator engages'With one finger the finger-pece 0 then pulls upward, so as to cause theplate D to slide upwardly, being guided' by the handled arm C and thearms F The springE is thus stretched, and when the plate D nears thecross-bar B the hook or catch ,G passes under the V-shaped end H' of thelever H to finally engage the said end H', as shown in Fig. 1. hen theoperator now releases the finger-piece 0 the downward pull of the springE causes the catch G to press on the lever H, so that the lower end Hengages the lug or prej ection 1', thus holding the trigger set, theplate I extending in a hori zontal line. hen the trap is in thisposition, the operator passes the posts B and B' into the groundtransversely to the mole s burrow, so that the said posts pass down onthe sides of the burrow until the plate I rests on top of the ground,usually over the hill thrown up by the mole. As the hill is slightlypressed inward into the 1nole s burrow When the mole passes through theburrow, it has to raise the inWardly-pressed ground, so that the plate 1is moved upwardly, whereby the proj eetion I' is disengaged from the end1-1 of the lever H,

the spring E causes the downward sliding of the frame'D, whereby thesets of arms F F' and the arms F pass into the ground and Verticallythrough the bur'ow, thus spearing the animal, which is now at or aboutbetween the two posts B and B'. As the sets of arms F and F( arearranged on the sides of the posts B and B', the animal has no chancewhatever to escape. It is understood that the trigger-plate 1 is notraised until the mole is' between the posts B and B', so that either ofthe lever H is nnlocked, and the pressure of the sets of arms F or F' orboth, in connection with the arms F must strike the animal.

Having thusfully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. In a mole-trap, the combnation, with themain supporting-hame, the verticallyqnovable frane carrying theinpaling-rods, and the trigger mechanism, of a spiral spring exterior toboth frames and removably connected at its ends ther-eto to eXert adownward pull or the impaling-frane when the trigger is released,substantially as set forth.

2. A mola-trap consisting in the posts B B', a cross-piece B connectingthe upper ends of the posts and provided with an apertured lug, thestandard 13 having apertured plate B on its upper end, theverticaily-novable plate D above and at right an gles to the crosspiece13 a catch G on top of plate D, vertical guide-rods C O, eXtending fromplate D up through the apertures in plate 13 across-bar C', connectingthe upper ends of the guiderods and provided on its under side with anapertnred lug, a spiral spring E exterio' to the guide-rds and connectedat its ends to the apertured lugs on cross-pieces B C', theimpaling-arms F, depending from piate D, the trigger I, pivoted to postB', and the lever H, pivoted'to the upper end of standard B to engagewith its short arm the catch Gr and with the lower end of its long armthe outer end of the trigger, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE RICARDO. Witnesses:

ALEXANDER C. KELLY, E. E. POWELL.

